Friday, December 30, 2016

Let's start with telling you the
truth! Yes, life is not going to be easy on you! It will even become harder as
you age and reach your senior years. Truth!

So, what are you going to do
about it? Will you keep complaining, keep getting frustrated and stop giving in
at each and every step of your life? Will you keep getting slanted and accept
knowing that life is simply like that?

Or will you start tackling the
problems with a mindset of winning, learning and getting better with each
obstacle life throws at you way?

This definitely is the better
option as what will we gain out of being pessimistic and sad at the fact that
life will never be easy? What will come out of us if we keep struggling and
suffering, whereas we can just embrace our difficulties to grow and enjoy the
struggle?

Yes, I may sound strange but I am
telling you the truth.

There are some very promising
studies conducted that have asserted again and again that simply having a
positive attitude towards your life adds years to your life. In other words,
your attitude determines how long and how healthy you will live. The most
prominent of these studies is the one conducted by the researchers at the Yale
and Miami University and they have found out that positive thinking and
optimistic attitude can add as much as 7 and a half more years to your life.

So, the choice is upon us! And we
from Comfort Keepers are here to help you achieve the positive state of mind
and being. Follow these simple tips and contact us to know more.

Read Motivational Books

There are so many books out there
on this topic of positive attitude and how to build and sustain it that you may
get lost while finding out which one would be better. So, we have sorted the
most suitable ones for you. Have a look at these two titles- “Live Long, Die
Short: A Guide to Authentic Health and Successful Aging” by Roger Landry and
“Keep Moving: And Other Tips and Truths About Aging” by Dick Van Dyke.

Watch Inspirational Videos at Ted

There are plenty of great
inspirational speakers out there whom you can access on YouTube Ted talks
channel. Tune in and listen what they have to say. You will find ample amount
of high energy positivity within you.

Unlock Your Untapped Potential

We all have some of our own
unique strengths and weaknesses. We may have passed all of our lives without
really realizing those. So, try to find out yours, you may never know what
awaits to surprise you. On the other hand another approach at getting back at
life could very well be overcoming our weaknesses or turning them into
strengths. Just take as example Fauja Singh who picked up distance running at
the age of 89. Thanks to his positive thinking, we saw him celebrating his
100th birthday by crossing the finish line at the Toronto Marathon.

Redirect Negative Responses

Simply put, when we feel tired we
feel like just lying down and giving up for the day! And the cycle continues.
What you can do is to choose not to feel tired by making some lifestyle changes
and leading a routine life. Start regular physical exercises and meditate or do
yoga! Or even better make a list of all the things that you think you can’t do
and move on to accomplish each one of them. And know that you can!

You Are Never Too Old

The old saying that you are too
old to start new things has really become old. In reality, you are never too
old to embark on new adventures and start new projects. Keep living your life
like it really is- infinite and eternal.

For any kind of help and support
regarding senior care and well-being do not hesitate to contact Comfort
Keepers.

Friday, December 23, 2016

We have been talking about
entrepreneurship in senior years a few days back when we cited numerous reports
of seniors getting very much successful with entrepreneurship and shattering
the age-old concept that seniors can’t do new things or can’t start new
ventures after retirement.

However, there may be situations
when your senior loved one is not so bent on being a full time dedicated
entrepreneur or on starting their own thing. Physics and psychology may not
always allow this. Even then, they can easily opt for a suitable part-time job
that would keep them engaged and infused in a meaning life.

Here we have sorted out some of
the best options for our senior loved to choose as a part-time job.

Tutor

Tutoring is one of the best or
possibly the best part-time job option for seniors. With their massive
reservoir of experience and skills, they would be the best mentors for the
youngsters. So, our senior loved ones can start tutoring young people on the
topic they are most experienced, interested and comfortable.

Tour Guide

This can be another great option
for our elderly loved ones to engage in as a part-time vocation. If your senior
loved one has an interest in history and a knack for storytelling then through
being a tour guide they will find an extraordinary opportunity to be social,
active and happy. And seniors are the ones who will be most acquainted with the
city’s most attractive places after passing so much time around. Just make sure
that they are physically capable of walking long distances and climb stairs.
Hopefully, you are always there for their physical care.

Bookkeeping or Accountancy

These kinds of jobs are quite
accommodating for our elderly loved ones as these require less physical and
mental stress. Therefore, if your senior loved one is good at math and finance
then look for any company that is looking for part-time bookkeepers or
accountants. Another benefit of being involved in such kind of activities in
senior years is being able to maintain a sound cognitive health.

Non-profit Professionals

Many nonprofit organizations
often hire part-time professionals for various administrative positions. So,
look for such organizations in your locality and enquire whether they are hiring
for marketing, fundraising or any such positions.

Volunteering

Or in case that your senior loved
one is mostly looking for sincere engagement and meaningful activities in their
lives without any consideration of monetary compensation than you can anytime
choose to volunteer for any worthy cause that calls you most intensely.

There are numerous benefits of
engaging in a part-time position in senior years after retirement. Apart from
the economic boost, you will get the opportunity of having a more fulfilling,
active and meaningful life in declining years. So, if you are considering to do
one, start without any further hesitation. For any help and support regarding
senior care, health and well-being do not hesitate to contact Comfort Keepers!

Friday, December 16, 2016

Money becomes one of the major
concerns when a family starts the process of ensuring best possible care for
our senior loved ones. It is the time when we should start talking about it
with our aging parents as well as all the members of the family.

However, we have often seen that
starting this so important money talk becomes somewhat uncomfortable to begin.
If you are also encountering problems about this issue and have been pondering
about how you should start discussing this issue then do not think that you are
alone in this. We have brought to you some guiding ideas in this matter.

Recognize the Importance

Firstly before even starting the
conversation you have to realize the importance of the issue yourself. You have
to acknowledge that saving for retirement and planning out all the financial
issues beforehand is very much necessary. Besides, you have to know that
keeping all the financial data like tax information, bank account and
insurances information along with keeping all the financial reports in place is
necessary. You should also know that creating a well-developed will is also
becomes essential at this stage.

Start with General Topics

When attempting to start
discussing the financial topics with your aging parents, start with general but
related topics like what’s their plan for their retirement or something like
that instead of jumping on the topic right away. That way you will get simple
cues to take the matter to more serious issues gradually.

Tell Them Your Own Plans

You can start by telling your own
financial initiatives and retirement plans to them to set the introduction. Let
them know how important it is to have a financial plan ready for your
retirement and the declining years.

Don’t Impose

Once you get to know all the
details about their plans and overall financial conditions start placing
options to them. Look for possible lacks in the plan or possible improvements.
Like if they have not created a centralized storage of all the financial data
then suggest or offer to do that for them. Or if they have not made a will then
offer to arrange a family lawyer to sketch that out for them. But you should
never impose any decision upon them, make sure to be as a trusted adviser.

Involve All the Members in the Discourse

Many families struggle to amass
all the money that we often need to ensure proper care for our loved ones. Then
the discussion becomes even more uncomfortable at times. Then you will not only
have to know the financial condition of your parents but also all the siblings
responsible for ensuring the best care possible. So, at this stage, you just
have to involve all the members in the discourse and discuss a way out of it.

Have a Financial Adviser

After trying all you can, if you
fail to reach your goals or fail to make your parents realize all the issues
then you may consider having a financial advisor to discuss it with them for
you. Besides, an adviser will be able to better guide you all in terms of
taxes, insurances, will and other such issues.

For any help and support regarding
senior care, health, senior living and well-being do not hesitate to contact Comfort Keepers.

A research, after thoroughly examining
23 independent studies, has concluded that depression significantly increases
the chances of developing dementia. This research found out the link between
depression to all types of dementia. However, the risk was more prominently
higher in case of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

Another study concentrating on
and following up 1764 participants for eight years for depressive tendencies
and the possible dementia development have found out that there are surprising
amount of evidence and correlation between late-life depression and dementia.

Yet another research conducted a
comprehensive review of 16 studies focused on late life depression and five
studies on early life depression and have found out that both the groups had
two to four times more likelihood of developing dementia than those without
depression.

What’s the Link?

To frankly tell the truth the
experts do not have any definite answer to this link of depression to dementia.
However, what they can confer is that as depression is connected with brain
changes so it makes it more likely to cause the damage in the brain cells seen
in case of dementia.

What Can We Do?

Now, this is the most practical
part as far as our and our loved ones’ well-being is concerned. What can we do
to stave away the depressive tendencies seen in us or our loved ones?

First of all, we have to
acknowledge the fact that medication really works in case of curbing
depression, anxiety and other such mental illnesses. Besides, there are very
effective therapies that are proven to get people out of the depressive mental
closet. So, whenever you see depressive tendencies in yourself and in your
loved ones contact a psychiatrist as soon as possible.

Apart from medication and
therapies, there are some other environmental and lifestyle changes that you
can make in order to deal with the depressive tendencies.

Lead an active life and encourage
your loved ones to do the same. Do regular physical exercises, engage in social
and communal activities, do some volunteering for a worthy cause and get
yourself involved in artistic or creative activities.

Practice meditation. Meditation
can help a lot in case of removing depression and taking you towards a bright
and peaceful inner atmosphere.

Find things and activities that
make you happy. It can be anything - wearing new and nice dresses, going to the
woods, singing songs or listening to them, going to your favorite location in
town or any other little thing that makes you feel better.

Another very important thing to
remember is that while a person is suffering from depression he or she may not
be aware of it or may not be even forthcoming to express their situation. So,
it is up to us to keep an eye and discern the symptoms of depression in the
people around us.

Whenever you see any such
depressive symptoms in your loved ones then start talking with them with care
and make them realize that it is an illness for which they are sad. It’s not
normal sadness and it is very much curable with medication and other practices.

Friday, December 2, 2016

We often observe various
misconceptions and wrong ideas related with what aging does to your brain and
about the things that you can do to improve your brain muscles in senior years.
So, we from Comfort Keepers thought of clearing up some of the major
misconceptions and at the same time guide you towards the right way to improve
your brain health, memory and overall cognitive faculty.

Simple Exercise

One of the major misconceptions
is that most of us think aging of the brain and the consequent decay is
inevitable. However, this is not altogether a true statement. Although it is
natural that with age the brain is likely to shrink but with just a bit of
added measure you can also reverse the brain shrinking quite significantly. A
study conducted by the University of Illinois and the University of Pittsburgh
combined have found out that just simple exercises like walking or stretching
can increase the size of the hippocampus, the main area of the brain
responsible for memory, up to 2% in just one year. Besides, the study also
suggested that seniors who exercise regularly are likely to have less amount of
amyloid, the sticky plaque found in the brain in case of Alzheimer’s disease.

Eat Fish

Another common misconception is
that supplements can boost memory and brain power. This cannot be asserted for
sure. The evidence and reports on this matter often portray conflicting
information on the results of supplements. Although vitamin E has been shown to
slow down cognitive decline with age, high doses come with some obvious side
effects. However, there’s a natural brain health booster that is unknown to
most of us is fish. A UCLA study has found out that among the seniors over the
age of 65 who ate at least one meal a week centered on fish items had higher
amount of gray matter in their hippocampus than those who had less fish or
didn’t have at all. The research concluded that the more you eat fish, up to
three servings per week, the lesser the chances of cognitive decline.

Learn New Things

Although many of us tend to
believe that playing games like crossword puzzles help to boost our brain power
but in reality, it is not exactly the case. Actually what helps is learning
anything new. Be it a game like crossword puzzle or a new skill like playing a
musical instrument. But, keep playing the same game won’t help. Doing
repetitive tasks won't help in creating new neural connection or improving your
brain but learning new things will. A recent Swedish study reports that
learning a new language increased the size of some brain parts. So, keep
learning new things be it small games or huge task like learning a language.

Your Mind Actually Gets Better with Age

Contrary to popular beliefs our
brain actually get better with age. This happens because the left and the right
hemisphere of the brain sync better due to the richness of neural connection
that is achieved with age. That’s why we often see wisdom and emotional balance
increasing with age. Due to the same increased left and right connectivity
creativity also soars in senior years. Besides, with a huge reservoir of
skills, knowledge and experience accumulated throughout the whole lifespan our
senior loved ones develop a crystallized form of superior intelligence.

Now, with these ideas in your
head we can rightly hope that you will never allow the negative misconceptions
about aging take the upper hand on you. For any help and support regarding
senior health and well being do not hesitate to contact Comfort Keepers San Mateo!

Friday, November 25, 2016

Mayo Clinic defines Parkinson’s
disease as a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement.
It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease that affects our senior
loved ones. It is only second to the Alzheimer’s disease in this context.

As the number of seniors
increasing so is the sufferers of Parkinson’s disease. Treatment can reduce the
symptoms but there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. So, proper lifestyle
management is the only solution to staying safe and continue with daily life.
And home health caregivers from Comfort Keepers can render immense help and
support to our senior loved ones who are suffering from Parkinson’s.

The symptoms of Parkinson’s
disease develop slowly. They are often unnoticed until it reaches severe
stages. So, proper attention is necessary to detect the symptoms.

The symptoms also vary from
person to person, however, starts to appear between the ages of 50 and 60. The
major symptoms are:

●Tremor or shaking of hands, legs and arms.

●Stiff or aching muscles.

●Slow and limited movement.

●Muscle weakness, especially throat and face muscles

●Difficulty while walking and maintaining balance.

●Difficulty in speaking and writing

So, if you have senior adored one
living among you keep be alert and keep an eye on them to discern any such
symptoms. If so then take a doctor’s appointment as soon as possible and have a
diagnosis.

And if you have a loved one who
has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease then you already know how important
it is to look after them with great caution. As Parkinson's is directly
connected with movement so it makes everyday life much difficult and even
impossible at times. So, having professional help can make a huge lot of
difference.

●A professional in-home caregiver will not only be able
to take care of your senior loved one’s daily essential tasks but they will be
able to assist them with all the lifestyle changes and specific practices that
are proven to help seniors with Parkinson’s stay more happy and comfortable.

●With Parkinson’s having a healthy diet and doing daily
physical exercise helps a lot in reducing the impact of the symptoms. A
caregiver will be able to plan and prepare the dietary plan and the daily food
menu for the best interest of the senior loved one. Besides, they will be able
to direct, assist and motivate the seniors for having their daily physical
exercise.

●The possibility of sudden falls increases a lot with
Parkinson’s. So, it becomes even more important to make you home fall-proof and
to keep a cautious eye on your senior loved ones constantly. Both of these
tasks can be achieved with a proficient home health senior caregiver.

●In some severe cases daily essential tasks can become
impossible for our senior loved ones to do without assistance. Tasks like
bathing, grooming, eating and walking can become very troublesome at times. A
caregiver will be able to help and support our senior loved ones with these
daily life activities and can lead them to better health conditions.

●Another thing that is important in this regard that
anxiety and stress is one of the forces that increase the effect of symptoms in
case of Parkinson’s disease. So, taking necessary steps to keep your senior
loved ones relaxed and stress-free is task that you have to do. Even in this
case having an expert caregiver who knows how to deal with such situations and
knows how to direct the mental energies and movements within the senior minds
with targeted activities can make all the difference.

So, if you have a senior loved
one who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease then do not delay in contacting
Comfort Keepers San Mateo.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Life in declining years poses
unique situations and conditions to our lives. There arise unforeseen dangers
and unwarranted mishaps without any prior notice. Moreover, in senior years one
very naturally needs help and support from others. For these reasons planning
for your declining years after your retirement is of superlative importance.

Most of the time our senior loved
ones expect necessary help and support from their friends and family but there
are almost a quarter of seniors living in the US who are single, widowed and
childless, hence practically living alone without anybody to help. Another
significant portion of our senior loved ones are living far away from their
families due to various reasons hence they are also having to live alone.

For those seniors who have no one
to seek help in their senior years, planning for retirement is even more
crucial and has to be done with caution and urgency as long as they are able to
make the plans and the necessary actions done or delegated.

So, we from Comfort Keepers have
these thoughts, ideas and guidelines to share with our senior loved ones who
are still in a position to make plans for themselves and are able to take care
of themselves; as soon the days may not remain the same as it is now!

Be Economic

Save money as much as you can for
your senior years and for your days after retirement. Although you do not have
friends and family to take care of you, you may be able to source help from
professional services. According to a 2013 report, an estimated $470 billion
dollars worth of senior care are currently rendered by family caregivers. So,
for the seniors who are alone, professional help is the only choice.

Organize Your Assets

Make a list of all of your assets,
bank accounts and other financial accounts like insurances, mortgages etc. and
save it for future. Document your financial details like account names, IDs,
passwords etc. Automate your financial distributions like paying bills and
other disbursements and save the necessary automation information for future
reference.

Prepare Your Financial Documents

Get in contact with a trusted
attorney and prepare your will and other financial documents like living trust,
health care proxy, or any other document that you may need as per the advice of
your financial consultant and accountants.

Choose a Health Care Surrogate

This is especially important for
seniors who are looking forward to living alone. You might be able to take
actions and plan for your life right now but in future, there may arise some
situations when your judgment and cognitive faculty may not work properly and
you will need a trusted individual to make crucial health care decisions for
you. So, find someone from your acquaintances and make him your health care
surrogate.

Be Socially and Communally Active

Staying socially and communally
active not only boosts your physical and mental health but also will help to
gather support in your senior years. Get involved in various social or
religious groups. Join volunteer groups and retirement communities. This way
you will have lots of people to get connected with who will be able to help you
in various ways after your retirement.

Select Retirement Community and Your Senior Care Provider

It is always a good idea to browse
all the options beforehand. Select one that best suits you among the best
retirement communities in your region and get connected with them. Or if you
want to age in your own home then you should do the same with senior home
health care service providers of your choice.

Create a List of Advisors and Keep their Contacts with You

Find all the expert advisors like
accountants, financial advisors, legal attorneys and medical emergency
professionals and make a list of them along with their contact details. This
way you will be able to get help right when you need and in times of emergency.

Friday, November 11, 2016

In our declining years, our teeth
become weaker or even start to fall forcing us to change our eating habits
drastically. However, this does not necessarily mean that one can’t enjoy
tasty, delicious and nutritious food items in senior years.

With a bit of knowledge and
planning, you can very easily prepare easy to chew foods that are at the same
time and healthy and tasty for your senior loved ones. Here we have brought to
your some necessary knowledge in this regard from Comfort Keepers. Keep reading
to know how you can prepare foods for your senior loved ones easily.

Fruit Preparations

Fruits can be a great source of
energy and nutrition in senior years. Cut or slice fruits into small bite size
pieces so that it becomes easier for our senior loved ones to consume. Mangoes,
bananas, berries, peaches, melons, etc. are soft and easy to chew. You can also
prepare mashed or pureed fruit items. Another preparation can be compote made
of boiled fruit mix. You can boil the fruits in sugar mixed water.

Vegetable Preparations

Food items cooked with potatoes,
squash or pumpkins can be easily made and had as a side dish. You just have to
peel, boil and mash these vegetables to prepare nutritious food for your senior
loved one. You can do the same with beans or peas. These are great for seniors
who has a chewing problem. You just have to boil and steam properly. You may
also use some of the crispy vegetables like carrots and broccoli if you cook
these for a long time and keep the pieces small.

Meat Preparations

Many of you may think that having
meat in senior years is impossible. But no! You can make meat items that you
senior loved one will enjoy with bare gums or weak teeth quite easily. Shred boneless,
skinless meat from well-roasted pork, chicken or beef. Just make sure to roast
it slowly. You can add some minced meat into mashed potato or vegetables.
Another option could be to hash shredded precooked meat with boiled potatoes.

Grain Preparations

You can make foods with cereals
like oatmeal, rice and wheat cream for your senior loved ones. You just have to
make it softer. Soft banana or blueberry muffins can be another option if your
remove the top hard crust from it and cut it to bite size pieces. Another
option can be a bit of overcooked pasta, barley or rice. Our seniors can very
well have some delicious snacks made out of peanut butter sandwiches - just
remove the hard crust from the sides of the bread.

Hopefully, with these ideas, you
will never feel at a loss while preparing foods for your senior loved ones who
faces difficulty chewing. For any help and support regarding senior care and
wellbeing do not hesitate to contact Comfort Keepers!

Friday, November 4, 2016

Are you thinking of getting
professional senior care help for your senior loved ones? Or would you opt for
family caregiving for them? No matter what be your choice, transitioning to
care-receiving for in senior years can be overwhelming at times for our senior
loved ones as well as for the family members. The circumstances are totally new
to us and the changes are often difficult to accept.

So, in such situation what can we
do to cope up with the changing dynamics and conditions? Comfort Keepers are
here with some soothing thoughts and effective guidelines.

Accept the Changes

Change is the law of nature.
There's no way to fight it. So, the best way to deal with it is to accept it as
it is. Try to realize this fact and make your senior loved ones understand that
the changes are for their safety, good health and well-being.

Discuss

Our senior loved ones often feel
discontented over receiving care. Various negative thoughts and ideas may force
them to think this way. They may think that care receiving is a dependency and
lack of autonomy. So, discuss with them and make them realize that care
receiving is for their betterment and no one can stay safe and healthy without
proper care in declining years.

Make Opinions Heard

Often in situations like these when family members are
engaged in ensuring proper care for their loved ones situations may occur when
some may feel blighted thinking that their opinions are getting heard. Even our
senior loved ones themselves may at times think that you are forcing your decisions
upon them. So make it sure that everybody is having their say in deciding what
type of care would be the best.

Make a Routine

Whenever in life we are faced
with changing times it is always a good idea to sketch out a plan of actions
that would carry out the change with ease. So, sit with your senior loved one
and sketch out the plane make a regular routine describing the necessary
changes. Besides, having a clearly planned out routine keeps the mind stable in
times like this.

Ensure Care for
Caregivers Too

Being too much focused on the
care of the senior loved ones, it may happen that the family caregiver becoming
strained or not being taken care of properly. However, for ensuring the best
possible care for the seniors the caregivers also have to be in top shape.
Otherwise, they won't be able to be fully in sync with their own life as well
as the caregiving process.

Make Your Home
Fall-proof

One thing you should be especially aware while having a senior around
is the propensity of having falls in senior years. In senior years the chances
of having potentially damaging falls increase significantly for various
reasons. So, be mindful and scan your home for any potential fall causing
elements. Read the resources that Comfort Keepers have on fall prevention and
get the expert fall prevention team to scan your home for you to make it fall
proof.

With these guidelines in mind, if
you approach this phase of your family life then it can be expected that the
changes will be played out with ease and smoothness. And it these difficult
times if you need any help regarding senior care and well being then contact
Comfort Keepers San Mateo immediately!

Friday, October 28, 2016

For various reasons many in our
senior years face the difficult times of living alone. According to US census
data 2010 about 28% (12.5 million) of no-institutionalized
senior loved ones live alone (8.8 million women, 3.8 million men). Almost half
of older women (46%) aged above 75 live alone. This is a severe problem almost
reaching the stature of an epidemic.

However, we all know that
loneliness and isolation can never be good for our mental and physical health.
It is often the case that most of us know but do not acknowledge due to family
circumstances or other reasons. But it is high time we acknowledged the issue
and took necessary steps.

Loneliness and isolation are not
only dangerous in senior years but also may prove to be devastating in all the
phases of our life. A recent study conducted by the Brigham Young University
in Utah found out that isolation and loneliness can have negative
effects on health and wellbeing as adverse as obesity.

The researchers observed almost 35
years of studies and have concluded that living alone and isolation can
dramatically decrease lifespan. The
study’s lead author Julianne Holt-Lunstad said in a statement, “We need to
start taking our social relationships more seriously, the effect of this is
comparable to obesity, something that public health takes very seriously.”

After conducting their thorough
analysis on data collected from more than 3 million people they reached the
conclusion that isolation and loneliness can increase the risk of early death
up to 32%.

Another study conducted by the University of Chicago
also found out some very disturbing link between physical health conditions and
loneliness. The study pointed out that isolation and loneliness can increase
the level of your stress hormone cortisol which leads to a significant increase
in the chances of heart diseases and strokes. This condition can even multiply
in effects in senior years. The effects of loneliness on longevity has been
shown as similar to the effects of poverty, in this study. Apart from the
physical effects the mental and emotional health of our loved seniors also
debilitates a lot due to loneliness and isolation.

So, this is an eye opener. As more
and more seniors are being pushed into living alone now a days, due to the
changing social dynamics and as the 'graying of America' speeds up, the country
may experience an epidemic of isolation in senior years. To deal with this
serious situation, we have to implement pro-active senior care programs and
services like the one from Comfort Keepers, termed as the Interactive
Caregiving approach.

Interactive Caregiving from Comfort
Keepers adopts a proactive attitude towards senior engagement in social
activities along with involving them in their own care receiving processes.
Through these interactive techniques even if the senior loved one is out of
sync and connection due to depression or other issues it is possible to get
them back on track to engage with people.

However, we need more such facilities
made available to our seniors in order to deal with the ever-growing isolation
epidemic in senior years.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Today’s seniors are shattering
the age old concept that only young people are fit to become entrepreneurs. At
present we are seeing many of our loved seniors are starting their own business
startups after retirement. They are proving again and again what C.S. Lewis
said ‘You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.’

The Number of Senior Entrepreneurs Are Increasing
Kauffman
Index of
Entrepreneurship indicates that now the percentage of entrepreneurs aged
among 55 to 64 has increased to 24 % whereas it was only 15% in 1997.
So, this
proves that gradually our senior loved ones are realizing the truth and
coming forward with
renewed zeal at life. Besides, Richard Sutch, economic historian at the
University of
California said that the self-employment rates for the male labor force
rose
with age, from virtually zero at age 16 to over 30 percent by age 70.

Motivation and Inspiration
What Comfort Keepers’ take at it
is that, starting anything in life gives tremendous amount of motivational and
inspirational boost to one’s life. And in senior years when we often struggle
to cope up with the rapid changes both in terms of our physical and mental
condition along with the lifestyle changes then doing something new with your
life can render a lot of support. It will help to keep you going with as much
enthusiasm and meaning as you were in your youth. Moreover, it will also give
you some monetary boost.

Seniors Have an Advantage
There’s one special advantage
that our senior loved ones get if they start their own business after
retirement- the massive amount of experience they have gathered all through
their lives along with the huge number of connections that they can summon.
Besides, in today’s knowledge based economy our senior loved ones can impart
immense support to the overall business sector with their grounded knowledge
and experience.

Being Active
Comfort Keepers always encourages
senior involvement and engagement in various social and communal activities
along with their own care receiving processes through Interactive Caregiving
approaches. In this line too entrepreneurship can be another brilliant idea to
get engaged and active. The benefits of leading an active and engaged life in
senior years are numerous.

Another Attempt at Realizing Lost Dreams
Taking up something new in our
declining years gives us a unique opportunity of another attempt at realizing
long sought after dreams. Often we have seen people sacrificing their dreams
for social and family responsibilities and sticking to their jobs forgetting
the dream of making something of their own. So, entrepreneurship in senior
years can definitely be your last chance at realizing some lost dreams of life.

Awakening the Creator within You
There’s a creator in each and
every one of us who is unique in terms of things they were meant to create. But
life and its cares often bars us from that creative force. But after retirement
you are free and nothing can bar you anymore. So, pay heed to the one true
calling that you have been ignoring all though your life and release your own
creative beauty. Entrepreneurship is nothing more than creating and producing
newer and more beneficial products and services.

There Are Courses for Senior Entrepreneurs
With the rising practice of
starting new businesses in seniors, now there are many reputed colleges that
are offering entrepreneurship and financial course to seniors. There are more
than 1000 Small Business Development Centers in colleges and state economic
development agencies that are offering free low-cost training and business
consultancy to our senior loved ones.

So, till now, if you had even a
glimmer of such thoughts in your mind of starting something of you own in your
senior years then now you know that there is no more time to procrastinate.
Start right away! You already know your calling; sketch out a plan, get some
courses done and start working on you dream. Contact Comfort Keepers San Mateo for any
kind of help and support on the way!

Friday, October 14, 2016

Families faced with the difficult time of being bestowed upon the responsibility of taking or ensuring proper care for the senior loved ones encounter some heavy issues. Having family disputes and conflicts among the members is often seen to be one of them. So, we from Comfort Keepers thought of addressing this often neglected issue of family fights over senior care related decisions.

Here we have listed down the 7 most common reasons for which such fights occurs and have tried to direct you towards possible solutions to the problems. As a result you will be aware of these issues beforehand and will be able to avoid such issues before they may take place. Moreover, even if they take place you will be able to solve the issues faster and more easily before any harm is done!

1. Difference in Opinion among Siblings

We have often seen that siblings view the need of senior care for their senior parents differently. The basic argument may revolve around whether they really need professional care yet or not. Or if they do, then what type of care would be most suitable.

To deal with this issue nothing does better than to have a focused discussion with a clear mind. Sit over a cup of tea with your parents and discuss over the present condition.

2. Seniors Resisting Care

Even if all the members of the family agree that the senior loved one really needs care then the seniors themselves may resist care due to various assumptions over expenditure, lost independence etc.

To solve this problem at first find out exactly why they are resisting. Then try and make them realize the essential necessity of the situation through effective exemplification.

3. One Member or Child Doing All the Heavy Work

Often in such situations we have seen that one of the members ends up doing all the hard work and becomes overburdened. This may lead to family fights and unhappiness along with the individual’s mental and physical problems.

To deal with this issue you have to understand that not all of us perceives the situation the same way. As you are doing most of the work you also have to keep in mind that may be others are not realizing that there are works to be done. So, you have to spell out your problems and ask for help clearly and logically.

4. One Member Making All the Decisions

Another issue that often leads to family conflicts is the tendency of one member’s ruling over all others while making any decision. Or may be that one member is not even caring to ask for suggestions from others.

This may become a bit difficult issue to solve. As the member who is doing so must have more significance in the family and talking to him might become a hard task. But no matter what, express your opinions in clear terms, if you think that the decisions they are making are not appropriate. Or just politely place your logical suggestions before finalizing any issue. Because there are conditions when wrong decisions may cause a lot of harm. So, don’t lose you calm and keep pressing what you think is right with dedicated quietude.

5. Paying for the Care

It is one of the most common scenarios in the families with seniors needing care. Especially after the 2008 financial meltdown when most of the retirees financial account is still struggling to recover. So, in times of arranging the money needed for the care of senior loved ones family members and children may have to look into their own pockets. Thereby, causing dissatisfaction with each other.

Here too focused and considerate discussion along with earnest understanding of each other’s situation is of prime importance. We should all sit together to discuss and find out how much we can contribute. We should acknowledge that we will try our best to ensure the best possible care for our loved seniors.

6. Caregiving while Raising the Family

According to a research conducted by the National Center on Caregiving almost 75% of family caregivers are women. And often it has been observed that these women are also responsible for raising their own children and caring for the whole family. In such situations the condition may often become heated as the member responsible for all these will naturally be stressed and dissatisfied.

To deal with this issue all the other members have to be careful and proactive. They have to chip in to support as much as they can. And the family caregiver also have to ask for help without hesitation and make others understand that their help is very much required. Besides, opting for professional help is always an option.

7. Inheritance

Family members fighting over inheritance is a very sad incident indeed. However, this happens very often. Most of the times such situation occurs when there aren’t any well sketched out and up to date will.

So, in order to avoid such unpleasant family occurrences always keep a well written, clear and up to date will ready!

Friday, September 30, 2016

As we age our body undergoes many changes. Both internal and external. Due to this our whole digestive system also undergoes some changes. And the importance of food safety and following a healthy diet and all the rules of food safety becomes increasingly important. Specifically for the seniors above the age 65 has to be treated with utmost care in terms of food safety.

Seniors above the age of 65 are at much higher risks of getting foodborne illnesses than other age groups. Moreover, seniors who are living in nursing homes are ten times more likely to get affected by bacterial gastroenteritis than others. So, getting acquainted with the food safety rules and techniques is a must, if you are a senior or have one senior loved one around you.

Why Seniors Are More Prone to Get Affected by Foodborne Diseases?

●The gastrointestinal tract holds on to food longer than usual. Hence, there opens up the scope of bacterial growth.

●The production of acids in the stomach becomes lesser and slower. Proper amount of acid helps to run the digestive process smoothly and reduces the growth of bacteria. So, lesser amount of acid means the scope to bacterial growth in the gastrointestinal tract.

Food borne diseases often regularly known as food poisoning often is accompanied by some common signs and symptoms. These are signs are the following-

●Upset Stomach

●Diarrhea

●Vomiting

●Fever

●Abdominal Cramps

●Dehydration

However, these symptoms can very swiftly increase to create some severe conditions including death.

Tips for Maintaining Food Safety

Our caregivers from Comfort Keepers are very much experienced in food safety issues and have proper understanding of the techniques. So, here we have brought out some tips from them for maintaining food safety in senior years

Clean

●The childhood rule of washing your hands applies the same all through our lives. Cleanliness is a virtue, we all know that. So, keep everything from your hands to your kitchen and everything related with food.

●Clean your cooking utensils and countertops with hot water and soap before and after you cook each and every item. Periodically use kitchen sanitizers.

Food Management

●Always separate raw food like meat and vegetables from ready to eat foods while carrying and storing.

●Always cook up to the right temperature. Cook raw meat and poultry properly.

●If you rely on delivered meals then take the service from a very reliable source and try be careful to keep them safe

Follow a Healthy Diet

●Food safety and following a healthy diet go hand in hand! With age following a healthy and custom diet targeted towards wellbeing is of essential importance.

So, here you go, with these easy to digest tips from Comfort Keepers you will definitely be able to keep your digestive system safe and sound. For any type of help and support for ensuring your loved one’s well-being contact Comfort Keepers San Mateo right away!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Back pain becomes an ever
concurring phantom as we age. National Institute for Health reports that at
least 25% of American adults encounter back pain in every three months.
Although it tends to occur after we cross the threshold of 30 it gradually
becomes more frequent as we reach our senior years. But do you know with some
easy and simple lifestyle changes you can very effectively fend off back pain
entirely?

We here from Comfort Keepers
thought of sharing with your 7 such tips that you can adopt to avoid back pain
as you age.

1. Do Hip Stretching Workout

In case of fending off back pain
it is very important that you keep your abdominal muscles stronger to support
your back as well as keep your hips muscles strong. For this you have to do
some regular hip stretching exercises.

One easy way to do that is lying
on your back and pull your knees upwards to your chest and hold it there for up
to 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat it for three or four more times. This way you move
and stretch both of your abdominal muscles and hip muscles and keep them in
perfect condition.

2. Forget about Posture Strengthen Your Hip Muscles Instead

Many often worry that our sitting
or standing posture affects the back pain but it is actually not the situation.
If you have strong muscles than no matter in whatever posture you sit and stand
it doesn’t matter.

So, you have to solely focus on
staying fit and keeping your hip and abdominal muscles stronger. Follow the
exercise described above along with some other such muscle strengthening
exercises.

3. Take Frequent Breaks from Your Chair

Sitting for too long at a stretch
on the chair is bad for your hip muscles. It makes it too relaxed. So, take a
break after every 30 minutes to one hour and do some light stretching or have a
walk. This way your muscles will be much healthier and stronger.

4. Lift Heavy Objects Carefully

It has been observed that lifting
heavy objects in inappropriate way can cause damage to your back muscles. So,
whenever you are lifting anything heavy, such as your grand kids, be careful
and follow standard procedure.

Bend your back and knees
carefully keeping one foot slightly ahead of the other and straighten up your
legs before your back. So, that the primary pressure remains on your legs
instead of your back.

5. Have a Daily Walk around the Park

Nothing can be better for your
back health along with your overall health than having a walk daily. As you
walk you release the pressure on your spine and strengthen your back muscle.

One more thing about walking and
back pain is that if you are having back pain like right now, start walking!
Then you will notice that the pain will gradually decrease. So, even if you can
manage to walk for only 10-15 minutes, do that and gradually try to increase
the amount of time you walk as much as up to one hour.

6. Work Carefully

Whenever you are engaged with
physical labor like shoveling snow or some heavy tasks like that you have to be
extra cautious. Tasks that involve you to bend frequently and handle heavy
things must be done with extra care for the safety of your back muscles. One
rule of thumb can be to have a bit of warming up before starting, working with
as little load as possible with frequent intervals.

7. Release Stress

Stress is an arch enemy to your
peace. It has been proven in many research that stress increases your
susceptibility to pain and aches. Besides, worrying about any specific type of
pain will increase the likelihood and the intensity of it significantly.

So, follow de-stressing
activities like relaxation exercises, yoga, meditation, aerobics etc. There are
often some personal de-stressors for every individual; try to find out yours
and carry out whenever you are stressed.

So, with these lifestyle
incorporations you will be able to deal with back pain forever. Follow these
and stay happy and healthy as you age. And for any kind of support regarding
elder care contact Comfort Keepers.

Friday, September 16, 2016

1 in every 5 men and 3 women above the age of 50 suffer bone
fracture due to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis means weak or
brittle bones. Our bones undergo a gradual renewal process over the years. When
we are young this decay and regeneration process goes faster and the lost
amount of bone gets cover up faster than the breaking down process through new
bone buildup. So, at the age of 30 our bone mass density remains at the peak.
But gradually the speed of regeneration slows down but the bone mass loss
continues hence gradually the bones become weak and brittle. In this line if
the bone mass density becomes too low then it is medically termed as osteoporosis.
In this condition our bones can get fractured very easily along with causing other
physical problems.

Symptoms

The visible symptoms of
osteoporosis aren’t many. Our loved seniors even may not realize that they have
osteoporosis until they get fractured and then tested. However, early signs can
be noticed in the form of back pain and changes in the posture. Another symptom
of osteoporosis that occurs much later in the development is decreased height.

Causes

Declining age is the main cause
of osteoporosis. In the senior years the speed of bone breakdown far exceeds
the speed of new bone buildup. This is the reason for which the bone mass
density decreases significantly and causes osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is more prevalent in
women than in men. It is often considered as a ‘women's disease’. This is
because the bone density of women are lesser than men and after menopause the
bone loss occurs much faster in women. That’s why around 80% of people
suffering from osteoporosis in America are women.

Risk factors

There are some risk factors for
osteoporosis that you can control and there are some that you can’t. Among the
risk factors that you can’t control are age, sex, ethnicity and heredity.
Another such uncontrollable risk factor is having a small bodily frame. Whites
and Asians are seen to get osteoporosis more than the seniors of other racial
descent. Apart from these some other health condition like type 1 diabetes, inflammatory
bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and some hormonal disorders can also be
risk factors for developing osteoporosis.

And the risk factors that you can
control mostly belongs to the way you lead your life. Smoking, leading an
inactive life, following an irregular diet containing low amount of calcium and
vitamin D, excessive drinking all these can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis
through increasing the amount of bone loss as you age.

Treatment

There are multiple treatment
options available in case your senior loved ones are diagnosed with osteoporosis.
First option is to prescribe bone boosting drugs containing bisphosphonate.
This will help decrease the bone loss and build new bone mass. Bisphosphonates
can be taken either by mouth or through injections but comes with some
significant kinds of side effects.

Other treatment options include
hormone therapy and antibody injection. But all these alternatives have their
own share of unavoidable side effects.

So, in such condition the best
possible option would be to remain aware of it from the very early childhood so
that you can maintain the healthy amount of calcium and vitamin D from the very
beginning up to the age of 30. This way your bone bank will be full and the
gradual bone loss will never reach the point where it can be diagnosed as
osteoporosis.

Bone Building Foods

Foods that are rich in calcium
and vitamin D are the bone building foods. Milk is the first priority. Then you
can have fish like salmon, tuna, herring etc. You have to add some leafy green
vegetables into your diet. Vegetables also provide magnesium that improves the
bone quality. Another such calcium fortified foods are cereals and orange
juice. Whereas, it is always a good idea to avoid foods that decrease the
absorption of calcium in the body.

Exercise

The importance of exercise in
case of osteoporosis management, treatment and prevention is essential.
Exercise keeps the bones in good condition and helps the treatment process of
building new and strong bones.

Exercises that involves bearing
your whole body weight are the most favorable. Exercises like walking, jogging,
running, playing tennis etc. Using small weights while exercising the various
body parts also help in this regard. Research have found that women who walk
one mile every day have four to seven years of added bone reserve.

Yoga, tai-chi can be a great way
to improve balance but some postures involving too much bend or stretch should
be carefully avoided in such situations.

Fall Prevention

While living with osteoporosis
even a bit of pressure on the bones can cause fracture. In severe cases there
are records of getting fractured just by coughing. So, whenever your loved one
is diagnosed with osteoporosis the first thing that you should do is to make
the surroundings totally fall proof. Contact Comfort Keepers San Mateo we have proven
techniques and methods for fall prevention.

Always remember that it is never
too late to care for your bones. No matter at whatever age you are right now,
start right away!

Start having the right amount of
healthy diet, have regular physical exercise- as much as you can- even if you
can just walk with the help of a walker then do that, and avoid the negative
habits that are active risk factors for osteoporosis. This way you can very
well live a healthy, happy and independent life in your senior years with
osteoporosis.